Berry-stem remover.



'W. B. URSUHELQ BERRY STEM REMOVER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26, 1909.

Patented Feb,15,1910.

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2%41112 o a aw ANDREW a. GRAHAM Cm momumowwm WASHlNGTUN. o. c.

W. E. URSUHEL.

BERRY STEM REMOVER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26, 1909.

949,454. Patented Feb. 15, 1910.

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ANDREW B. GRAHAM c0- Puow-umoomwms. WASHINGTON, D. Q

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WILLIAM E. URSGHEL, OF VALPARAISO, INDIANA.

BERRY-STEM REMOVEB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1910.

Application filed July 26, 1909. Serial No. 509,705.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM E. URSOHEL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Valparaiso, county of Porter, and State of Indiana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Berry-Stem Removers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices adapted to remove thestems from berries, and consists in a machine for the purpose mentionedwhich will be hereinafter fully described.

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of this specification, and in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete machine, Fig. 2 is ahorizontal section taken on line wx of Fig. 8, Fig. 3 is a bottom planview showing the cutting mechanism of the machine, Fig. 4 is a detailsection taken on line yg of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is a detail section taken online 2-z of Fig. 3, Fig. 6 is a detail view showing an oscillatoryshaft, Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the chains employed forrotating the berries, Fig. 8 is a central vertical section of themachine, and Fig. 9 is a top plan view, a beveled gear housing beingshown in section.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 designates the body or frame of themachine, and 2 legs adapted to support the body 1.

Bearings 3 and 4 are adapted to receive a shaft 5 to which a crank 6 issecured, said crank being provided with a handle 7 as shown. The bearing3 is positioned as shown, and the bearing 4 is formed in the upperportion of a bracket 3, the latter projecting upwardly from a partition9. Portions of the body sides, the partition 9, and the transverselyextending members 10 form a suitable hopper for the berries 11. Abeveled gear 12 is rigidly secured to the shaft 5 and is adapted todrive the bevel-pinion 13 secured to the crank-shaft 14. Said crankshaft is provided with an integral crank-pin 15 and is journaled in thepartition 9 and in the bearings 16 provided in the bottom of the body 1.A suitably shaped housing 18 is placed over the beveled gear 12 and thepinion 13 to prevent the berries 11 from coming into contact therewith.

A vertically movable gate 19 of ordinary construction is mounted on oneside of the Figs. 1, 8 and 9, and an hopper as shown in opening 20 isprovided in said hopper which is controlled by said gate, the inclosure21 being provided adjacent said opening to guide the flow of the berriesdownward through the aperture 22 which is provided in the plate 22 ofthe berry agitating device 23. An arm 24 is secured to the agitatingdevice 23 which projects into the path of the berries to kee themagitated, thus preventing clogging o the same, this feature beingillustrated in Fig. 9.

The berry agitating device 23 comprises a pair of annular concentricrings 25 and 26 which are secured together by means of U- shaped members27, the latter being secured to the outer extremities of the arms of aspider 28 which is mounted on the eccentric 47 and actuated thereby. Theeccentric 47 causes all the portions of the agitating device 23 to havea small circular movement, but other movements such as revolving aboutsaid crank shaft are prevented by means of the bar 29 which is securedto the agitating devices 23 and provided with the reduced extremities 30which engage the bifurcated ends 30 of the oscillatory arms 31 which areintegral with the shafts 32 mounted in the stationary bearing 33. Thereduced extremities 30 are mounted free to slide in the bifurcated ends30 in order that the eccentric 47 may move the agitating device freely.Concentric wires 34 are provided in the agitating device and connectedwith said wires are flexible chains 35 which are adapted to rest on' theberries 11, the latter resting on and being rolled by the circular plate36 which is mounted at its center on the crank shaft 14 and is adaptedto revolve slowly about the same. The plate 36 is provided with radialslots 37 through which the stems of the berries project downwardly, across section of the plate 36 showing the slots 37 being shown in Fig.The plate 36 is supported by the radiating arms 38 which are secured tothe spur gear 39, the latter being rotatably mounted on the crank shaft14. A driving pinion 40 is secured to the crank shaft 14 which mesheswith the intermediate gear 41 which is mounted on the stud 42. Integralwith the gear 41 is a pinion 43 which drives the gear 39, thus the plate36 is caused to rotate slowly about the crank shaft as aforesaid.

A plurality of flexible cutting knives 44 radiate fromthe hub 45 whichis rigidly secured to the crank shaft 14, these knives being adapted tosever the berry stems which project through the slots of the plate 36.The flexibility of the knives is such that they will jump over any smallobstruction which they may encounter, such as small stones or bits ofwire which might project through the slots 37. The knives 44 travel inthe same direction as plate 36 but at a much higher speed so that theberry stems are readily severed when they project through the slots 37.An opening 46 is provided in the ring 25 through which the berries 11may escape.

It will be noted that one edge of the slots 37 is beveled formingcutting edges and allowing the berries to come into close proximity withthe knives 44.

The eccentric 47 mounted on the crank pin 15 is provided with adjustablemeans whereby its throw may be varied. Said means comprises a perforatedcircular plate 48 having a central aperture and mounted free to rotateon the crank-pin 15 except when secured by means of the screw 49 whichis adapted to screw into the lug 50 provided on one side of the crankshaft 14. The eccentric 47 is secured to the plate 48 by means of thebolt 51 as shown in Fig. 8, thus, since the screw 49 may pass throughany one of the perforations 52, the throw of the eccentric 47 may bevaried. A deflecting plate 53 is secured in the agitating device 28 todeflect the berries upwardly through the opening 46 as shown in Fig. 9.

The machine may be power driven by means of the shaft 54 mounted in thebearings 55 and 56 and geared to the shaft 14, said shaft 54 having apulley 57.

Various slight changes might be made in the general form and arrangementof parts described without departing from my invention, and hence I donot restrict myself to the precise details set forth, but considermyself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fallwithin the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the ,class described, a frame and shaft journaled insaid frame, a crank formed on said shaft and means for driving saidshaft, an eccentric on said crank, in combination with a radiallyslotted horizontal plate mounted on said shaft and adapted to rotate ata slower speed than the same, a pair of annular concentric ringsconnected with said eccentric mounted on said crank and adapted to bemoved thereby, said rings inclosing a raceway the bottom of which isformed by the portion of said plate in which the slots are provided,means for introducing berries into said raceway, means for preventingsaid rings from revolving about said shaft, and a plurality of knivesfixed to said crank shaft and rotatable therewith arranged beneath saidslotted plate and adapted to coact therewith, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a device of the class described, a frame, a shaft journaled insaid frame, a crank formed on said shaft and means for driving saidshaft, an eccentric on said crank, in combination with a plate providedwith radial slot-s and loosely mounted on said shaft, arms connected tosaid plate at its periphery and rigidly connected to a spur gear looselymounted on and arranged coaxially with said shaft, a driving pinionsecured to said shaft below said last named gear, intermediate gearsmounted in said frame connected with said last named gear and saidpinion and adapted to reduce the speed of said plate below that of saidshaft, two concentric rings over said plate and, with said plate,forming a raceway over said radial slots, an operative connectionbetween said rings and said eccentric, a hopper and means for guidingberries therefrom to said raceway, and a plurality of rotary knivesarranged beneath said slotted plate and adapted to coact therewith forremoving the stems from berries, one edge of each slot being beveled inorder that said berries may rest in close proximity to said knives,substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, in combination with a frame and adrive shaft journaled therein, means for driving said shaft, a crankformed on said shaft, an eccentric on said crank, a raceway, a hopperand means for guiding berries therefrom to said raceway, a slottedcircular plate loosely mounted on said shaft the slotted portions ofwhich form the bottom of said raceway, a pair of annular concentricrings forming the sides of said raceway and connected with an eccentricmounted on said crank and adapted to be agitated thereby, means fordriving said plate in the same direction and at a lower speed than thatof said shaft, and a rotary cutting device arranged beneath said plateand adapted to coact therewith, the knives provided in said cuttingdevice being flexible, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the class described, in combination with a frame, adrive shaftjournaled in said frame and means for driving the same, acrank formed on said shaft, an eccentric adjustably mounted on saidcrank, a spider having radial arms mounted on said eccentric, a pair ofannular concentric rings connected with the outer extremities of saidarms, flexible chains mounted in connection with said rings, a circularplate mounted on said shaft and having radial slots in the peripherythereof and disposed beneath said chains, means for rotating said plateat a speed less than that of said shaft, and a rotary cutter arrangedbeneath said slotted plate and adapted to coact therewith, substantiallyas described.

5. In a device of the class described, in combination with a frame and adrive shaft journaled therein, means for driving said shaft, a crankformed on said shaft, an adjustable eccentric on said shaft, a rotaryslotted plate mounted on said shaft and means for rotating the same at aspeed less than that of said shaft, a pair of concentric rings arrangedabove said plate connected with and adapted to be agitated by saidadjustable eccentric mounted on said crank, means for preventing saidrings from revolving about said shaft, and a rotary cutter arrangedbeneath said plate and adapted to coact therewith,substantially asdescribed.

6. In a device of the class described, a frame and a shaft ournaledtherein, a crank formed on said shaft and means for driving said shaft,in combination with an adjustable eccentric mounted on said crank, apair of concentric rings connected with said eccentric and adapted to beagitated thereby, means for preventing said rings from revolving aboutsaid shaft comprising two arms formed integral with said shaft mountedto oscillate in said frame, said arms extending upwardly and havingtheir upper extremities bifurcated, a bar connected to said rings havingreduced extremities engaging said bifurcated extremities, a plate havingperipheral radial slots adjacent said rings and mounted on said firstnamed shaft, and cutting knives mounted to coact with the slottedportions of said plate, substantially as described.

7. A device of the class described comprising a shaft, a slotted plateloosely mounted on said shaft, a speed reducing driving connectionbetween said plate and said shaft, rotary knives arranged beneath and incontact with said plate, raceway members arranged above said plate andconnected with said shaft, and pendent members supported by said racewaymembers adapted to roll berries provided on said plate, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

VILLIAM E. URSCHEL. lVitnesses HELEN F. LILLIs, JOSHUA R. H. Porrs.

